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LA JOLLA, Calif. - UC San Diego baseball player Elias Tuma has been named the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The announcement was made Thursday at the CCAA Executive Council Meetings in Chico.

To be nominated for the award, student-athletes must have at least a 3.5 grade point average, completed their final season of eligibility and participated in a CCAA-sponsored sport. The award is voted on and selected by the Faculty Athletic Representatives from each of the conference's 12 institutions.

Tuma, a relief pitcher for the Tritons, possesses a remarkable 3.93 cumulative GPA as a Cognitive Science major at UCSD's Muir College.

The senior right-hander capped off a superb playing career by appearing in 28 games in 2012, giving him 82 trips to the hill over his four seasons, the most by any Triton in program history. Tuma led the CCAA in appearances for the second consecutive season. He also registered three saves in 2012 to finish with 13, which ranks second on UCSD's career list.

Overall in 2012, Tuma finished with a 3.83 ERA and struck out 37 batters over 40 innings of work. The Fremont native totaled three combined shutouts, the most on the Triton staff. In 19 CCAA outings, he posted a stellar 1.86 ERA and held opponents to a .237 batting average. On Apr. 1 at Cal State Stanislaus, Tuma struck out a career-high six hitters. He never walked more than one batter in an outing.

In late May, Tuma was named an Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) for the second consecutive year.

Tuma is the second Triton to garner the CCAA Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award in as many seasons as soccer player David Bakal earned the honor in 2011. UCSD swept last year as Kelly Fogarty of the track and field team won on the women's side. Since 1990, the first year the awards were handed out, UC San Diego has produced 10 winners (six men and four women), more than any other current or former CCAA institution.

The 2011-12 CCAA Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award went to Sonoma State volleyball player Keala Peterson.